UK Training Centre Chooses Wärtsilä Simulators

Technology group Wärtsilä has announced that it will supply the UK’s new marine training facility with maritime simulators, after signing a five-year continuous service agreement.

The marine simulation education centre, located at Southampton Solent University’s Warsash School of Maritime Science and Engineering, is expected to be complete by Spring 2019, and will be the largest of its kind in the UK.

The complex, which will provide decision support, analysis, and training based on live data received from ships and ports, includes navigational bridges, an engine room, liquid cargo handling, a Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), and crane operation simulators.

Joonas Makkonen, Vice President of Voyage Solutions, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions, commented: “We are extremely proud to have been selected to provide the simulators for this very important training facility.

“The quality and flexibility of our solutions are the highest on the market, and have been developed to deliver the most realistic and valuable training possible for the marine officers of the future.

“The digital technology used aligns very closely with Wärtsilä’s Smart Marine initiatives, whereby high levels of digitalisation and connectivity are employed to deliver even greater efficiencies.”

Syamantak Bhattacharya, Dean of Solent University’s Warsash School of Maritime, Science and Engineering, stated: “The simulation centre will be a central pillar of our maritime education, training and research programme.”

The equipment technology used in the facility is provided by Transas, a subsidiary of Wärtsilä which offers both land- and ship-based simulation systems that utilise digital twins of actual vessels covering all onboard systems.

Actual data from the ship can also be used to replicate onboard operations for training purposes.